Forced Family
by ejack02
Summary: Karen and Keith Scott are not only wonderful parents to Lucas Scott but also to other kids. As foster parents, they will take in three young girls and one young man to give them a loving home that they don't have. How will everyone cope, even in tragedy?
1. Meet the Scotts

**Chapter 1: Meet the Scotts**

As Lucas Scott looked in the mirror getting ready for school, he recognized his life as perfect. He knew it. With two parents, who loved each other unconditionally, he knew that the tranquility that he felt within his loving household was the reason why he was as successful as he was.

Even though he was only a sophomore in high school, he was one of the most popular kids in school. And, as the youngest Captain in the history of the basketball team at Tree Hill High, it was no wonder that everyone knew who he was. Not to mention that he was also an honor student as well as a tutor at the school, which gave him the privilege of knowing everyone: from jock and cheerleader to geek.

As a matter of fact, his closest group of friends proved how many different people he knew at the school. His friends were Marvin "Mouth" McFadden—self-proclaimed sports broadcaster—since he actually couldn't play any of them, Mouth's girlfriend, Rachel Gattina, the super-hot "how did he pull that" head cheerleader, and Antwon "Skills" Tanner, his teammate, who he had known since he was seven years old.

It had been Skills who had paired up with him in basketball on the Rivercourt when a group of ten-year olds would not let him play. So, instead, he and Skills challenged them to a game which they won along with respect on the court despite their age.

Lucas was brought out of his thoughts by his mother calling him down because breakfast was ready.

"I'll be right down, Mom" Lucas replied.

"What do you mean you'll be right down? You've been up since seven and it's now almost eight. You're not finished getting ready yet. Hurry up before the food gets cold." Karen yelled upstairs to her son from the bottom of the steps.

"Alright Mom. I'll be downstairs in five minutes." Lucas called back down as he through on a dark-green t-shirt, slipped on his sandals, and checked his gym bag to make sure he had everything he needed for practice today. If he didn't, he knew that Whitey would make him run suicides for a whole hour in his sandals.

When Lucas got downstairs, he slipped into his seat and began to dig into his chocolate chip pancakes.

"Slow down, will ya? You actually have to chew your food before you shallow." Keith commented as he walked into the kitchen and kissed Karen soundly on the mouth.

"It won't matter, because I am going to throw up anyway watching you two make out. There is a child in the room, you know, me." Lucas remarked with a smirk.

Keith chuckled. "You still live here. I think it's about time that you started to pay rent. You are seriously leaching from us."

"Stop it you two. Lucas, your dad and I are in love..." Karen said.

"You're damn right." Keith replied as he discreetly pinched her butt.

"Don't interrupt me." She said turning to Keith. "And, Lucas is my baby boy; he is not going anywhere or paying any rent. We love having him here. Go ahead. Repeat it, we love having him here," Karen demanded with a playful glare.

"We love having him here," Keith grumbled lowly.

"Love you too, dad," Lucas chuckled as he sent his father a shit-eating grin with food still half-chewed in his mouth.

"Ewww. Son, chew your food before you open your mouth. I know I taught you better than that" Karen commented with a disgusted face as she swatted her son on the arm.

"Actually, since we are all here, your father and I need to talk to you about something."

Keith and Karen both sat down at the table with their son. Lucas put down his fork as he saw the seriousness of his parents' faces wondering if he did something wrong or what was so important.

"Do you remember how we took Sam in before she went to live with her mother," Karen started. Lucas shook his head in confirmation.

"Well, the agency called again and they wanted us to foster more children. Your father and I have talked and think that we can provide a home once again, but we want to make sure that it is okay with you." Karen finished.

When Karen became pregnant in her senior year of high school with Lucas, she and Keith decided to go to UNC together, where they could get their college degrees as they raised Lucas in the family dorms. Since, they were so close to home, their parents were able to help them take care of Lucas while they were in class.

Shortly, after Karen and Keith graduated, Karen asked Keith to marry her. A few years after they were married, when Lucas was seven, they decided to try to expand their family. After numerous attempts, Karen became pregnant, but later had a miscarriage. An appointment at the doctor revealed to the two of them that Karen would not be able to carry to full-term, and that Lucas was in fact pretty much a miracle. They were crushed.

However, Karen and Keith were not deterred from expanding their family and figured that if they couldn't love their own, they would love others. So, Keith and Karen decided to become foster parents, as they brought kids into their home waiting to find one to adopt. Fortunately, or unfortunately for them, all of the kids who had come through their home ended up finding or returning to their parents or joining other relatives to be back with their families.

Sam was one such girl, who they wanted to adopt, but when she found her mother and asked to live with her, they could do nothing else but obey the wishes of the girl that they came to love.

"Yeah, I loved having Sam around she was like a sister to me. And, I still talk to her, so I am actually pretty excited to meet another person that will become the sibling I never had," Lucas replied as he ate another piece of his pancake.

"Actually, son, it won't just be one person, it will be three girls," Keith said as he judged Lucas' reaction. "They needed placement for three and there is a shortage of foster parents. You know how bad the system can be."

"Dad, mom. It's cool, so I'll never be able to get into the bathroom in the morning." Lucas started to get up taking his plate to the sink. He threw it into the sink and turned to face his parents. "I mean there's never been a problem before, so I don't see where it will be a problem now—no matter how many girls there is. How bad can it be?" Lucas said as he walked towards the door.

Karen and Keith both nodded at him as they both got up to get ready for work. "Okay Lucas, just wanted to check with you. See you later, son" Keith said and Karen gave Lucas a kiss goodbye on the cheek.

"Bye." Lucas replied as he opened with the door walked out with his backpack.

Karen turned back around to Keith. "We have such an amazing boy, don't we. I did a damn good job."

"Hey, I believed that I helped." Keith said with mock hurt.

"Well, he is here isn't he." Karen said playfully.

"Well, actually our lovely son is not, and we are both the bosses of our jobs, so how bout we go in a little late today." Keith said lustfully as he pulled Karen into his body and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Umm…I like the way you think Mr. Scott. You can be the naughty secretary this time." Karen growled.

"Only if you will give me a raise Mrs. Scott." Keith said as he waggled his eyebrow.

"Anything for you, Mr. Secretary." Karen pushed Keith into a sitting position onto the kitchen table that Lucas had just ate on, and they began to make out. They may have been two hours late for work, but if the kitchen could talk, it would say that it was worth every minute. It was great to be the boss.

So, this is the first chapter of this story. Characters will be revealed throughout the story, so if you want to know who will be in it and what they are like you'll just have to keep reading. .


	2. Chapter 2: Meet The Three

**So here is the next chapter, which will introduce Peyton, Brooke, and Haley, as well as their first night in the Scott home. Will Peyton, Brooke, and Haley find trouble from the start?**

**Chapter 2: Meet the Three**

_A ten-year old Peyton Sawyer jolted awake in bed as the front door slams. She looked over at the clock on the wall to see that it is 10 am in the morning. Her stomach begins to growl, so she pads barefoot out of her small room and down the stairs remembering to skip the third step that has a hole that is small, but big enough for her foot to get caught in._

_In order to reach into the cabinet to find some cereal, she pulls a chair from the table in the kitchen to stand on. She shakes the box of Frosted Flakes, delighted that there is indeed cereal left in the box. Today might actually be a good day, she thinks, as she gets a bowl and begins to pour cereal into the bowl. She then goes to the refrigerator to look for milk, only to find that there is none._

"_Mom," she yells. When she gets no reply, she yells again, "Mom." Still no reply. "I know she is here somewhere. I heard her come in this morning." She thinks to herself as she goes into the living room looking for her mother. And that is where she finds her, laying on the couch still in the clothes that she had on last night, with her black, knee-high boots and her black leather jacket still on, in a cold sweat with an empty bottle of Southern Comfort next to the couch. Peyton goes over and begins to shake her, hoping to rouse her._

"_Mom," Peyton whispers loudly. "Mom," Peyton says again, now in her full voice. Peyton sighs and checks to make sure her mother is still breathing before taking the afghan off of the back of the couch and laying it on top of her mother._

_She then slowly pads back to the kitchen and begins to eat her dry cereal as she pictures another ten-year old Peyton Sawyer at the counter making pancakes with her conscious mother. After she finishes, she goes upstairs to paint the picture that she sees and to put it under her pillow, so she can dream about it, hoping that it will come true some day._

An eighteen-year old Peyton Sawyer woke up from her dream feeling disgusted, not wanting to think about how stupid and naïve she was as a young girl. Hope was for wimps who didn't have the strength to deal with their reality. The reality was that Peyton Sawyer never got her dream that she _hoped _for, even when it was in reach. That life wasn't meant for her—fate had proven that when it took away her mother—and she had learned to deal with her reality. Besides, why would she want her mother anyway, she was nothing but a drunk, an alcoholic and no amount of apologies or false promises were ever going to change that.

"Would'ves, could'ves, and should'ves don't fucking matter if they didn't happen," Peyton murmured to herself as she put on slippers to go downstairs to get something to eat. It was quiet as Peyton ate cereal and she liked it that way, but as she saw Darlene, she knew it wouldn't stay that way. Fuck.

"Hey Peyton. How did you sleep?" Darlene greeted Peyton cheerfully as she came down fully dressed for the day. She hummed as she grabbed her own bowl of cereal and put bread in the toaster. Peyton rolled her eyes, and ate her cereal slowly to make as little noise as possible. She didn't want to attract anymore of Darlene's attention.

"Peyton, did you hear me?" Darlene asked again as she looked at Peyton curiously from across the table.

"Yes, I fucking heard you. Maybe I just don't feel like answering. Why do you try to talk to me anyway? I have constantly ignored you for the past year and you still can't take a fucking hint!" Peyton snarled.

"Peyton, you will watch your language in this house, and my daughter simply asked you a question," Carter Ganders reprimanded as he walked into the kitchen dressed for work. "You know after all of the time you have been here, I thought you would have changed…maybe opened up a bit. We did our best to make you feel welcome and happy, but yet, you still have the same attitude that you had when you first got here." Carter explained as he looked at Peyton expecting some type of reply, hopefully an apology for her behavior. "Well?" Carter pushed when he got none.

"Look, I never asked for this so I don't know why you act like I should be all grateful," Peyton said with disinterest. "Besides, you can forget about patting yourselves on the back because you changed the emotionless young woman into a loving caring being. I am not your experiment." Peyton finished sarcastically as she put her bowl in the sink.

"We never said or treated you like you were, dear" Charlotte Ganders said as she too now entered the kitchen. "But we expected you to appreciate what we do for you."

"Great, now I have all three of you on my back. Just leave me alone alright. I never wanted your charity and, frankly, never needed it. I am just doing this shit because I am not eighteen, so fuck your humanitarian of the year award alright." Peyton replied with a glare.

"That's it. You are extremely lucky that you are leaving today, because otherwise I would put your ass out on the street to give you what you think you want," Carter warned as he pointed his finger at Peyton. "So, go to your room Peyton until your ride comes to take you to Tree Hill. I am telling you Peyton, you better get your shit together or otherwise, you really will be by yourself." Carter finished with finality as he picked up his keys and left the house.

Darlene simply shook her head and left the room to get her stuff for school and Charlotte opened her mouth a few times, as if she wanted to say something, but then decided against it and began to make herself breakfast.

"Fuck them all," Peyton thought as she went to her room. "I'm meant to be alone." And that is what she drew about until she heard her ride beep. Then she grabbed her bags and left the Ganders house for Tree Hill.

Meanwhile, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Haley James woke up feeling extremely hung over. It took her a while to remember where she was, as this room did not at all look like her bedroom back at the Millers. She was startled slightly as something moved to the left of her and as something else poked her in her thigh. Taking a look over, she saw what was his name again…Ryder, her latest conquest. Damn, did he fuck her last night.

And it had been just what she needed last night and pretty much every night, for the past week, since it was the anniversary of her parent's death, but for the past two years, she decided to stop moping and have some fun. Crying every night would not bring them back. So that's exactly what she did last, smoked some weed, drank some 151, and fucked Ryder. All in all, it was a pretty good night.

"Ummm," Ryder moaned as he opened his eyes and saw Heather or was it Hilary under the covers. "Good morning" he stated in what he thought was a seductive voice. He was hoping to get laid this morning, judging by his lower appendage. She was the best he had ever had last night; she was pretty fun last night actually. Maybe after a morning go, he would learn her name again and take her to get something to eat.

"Alright goodbye," Haley said swiftly, climbing out of bed still naked as she searched for her clothes and put them on as she found them.

"Wait, I thought that we could you know and then go get something to eat," Ryder uncharacteristically pleaded.

"No thank you. I mean don't get me wrong you were good and all, but you weren't all that for me to want it again this morning," Haley said conversationally as if her words wouldn't bruise any man's ego.

"Come on, Heather." Ryder said as he picked his jaw off the ground. She was a spitfire; that was for sure. "You can tell me exactly what you want; I'm a good listener," Ryder said now trying to use his "bedroom" eyes as he again tried to sound seductive.

"Well, good listener," Haley started sarcastically, "my name's Haley and you're begging which is really pathetic, so I am going to leave now," Haley stated as she opened the door and moved to leave. As she went to close the door, she heard Ryder mutter bitch, before she saw him reach his hand under the sheets.

"Loser," Haley thought shaking her head. She left the apartment to go back to the Millers' house.

* * *

"Haley, where have you been? Your ride will be here in a few hours. Have you packed all of your stuff, yet? Don't be late for the social worker and have him leave you, you are not my responsibility after today, so you better get your stuff packed or live on the streets?" Mrs. Miller fired off at Haley as soon as she hit the door.

Haley made her way upstairs moving past the two rooms that belonged to the two other girls, Sara and Anna, who had come to this house one year before her. Mr. and Mrs. Miller had adopted the two girls, but chose not to adopt Haley, who had told them to fuck off and leave her alone with actions and with her words when they tried to give her a curfew and punishment.

This arrangement worked for Haley anyway, who didn't need any more parents. She had some and they were gone; she didn't need any one else trying to take their fucking place; no one could. When her eyes started to water due to allergies, definitely not due to thoughts of her parents, she reached into her bag that she had never unpacked since she got there a year ago and pull out a blunt. She was tired of thinking. So, she smoked until her thoughts no longer consumed her, and then left the house as she heard Mr. Samuels, her appointed social worker, beep his car.

Onto the next house, she thought, as she watched the Miller home and Wilmington disappear from view.

* * *

Hours later, Haley looked up from her lap as the Scott house came into view, white with yellow shutters. She sat in between Lucas and another brunette girl whose bubbly personality was no longer present. Instead, they all waited nervously as the police officer in the passenger seat left the car and knocked on the door once he reached it. Trouble on the first night, Haley thought, story of my life.


End file.
